Thread holder



Patented Apr. 26, 1932 PATENT OFFICE VARREN A. FUSOH, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THREAD HOLDER Application filed July 17, 1929.

This invention relates to thread holders for spools of thread that prevent the thread from unwinding from the spool accidentally, and that may, also, if desired, be provided with means for severing an unwound portion of the thread. The invent-ion pertains more particularly to that type o-f thread holder which comprises an elastic band or wire adapted partly or wholly to encircle the thread on the spool and having an eye or loop on one end through which the thread must pass in unwinding and which end or loop is clamped against the unwound thread, and having means on the other end for severing the unwound portion of the thread. In certain of its aspects, however, the invention is not thus restricted in its use.

Prior to the present invention, the loops or eyes of such thread holders had been provided with lateral openings to facilitate the insertion of the thread thereinto. However, such openings are objectionable, since t-he thread is apt to work out of the eye or loop through the opening. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of an eye or loop having a lateral opening so arranged that the entrance of thread through said opening is facilitated, and its egress impeded or prevented.

In prior thread holders, also, the thread has been severed by cutting it so as to leave it with abrupt ends, which are exceedingly difficult to thread into a needle, as everyone knows. Accordingly, another purpose of the present invention is the provision of severing means in which the thread will be torn asunder, rather than cut, so as to leave a tapered end which can be more easily threaded into a needle. v

Other objects, advantages, and desirable features o-f the invention will appear in the course of the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the spirit thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a side view of a spool having thereon a thread holder made in accordance with the present invention; and

Serial No. 378,943.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the thread holder as it appears detached, taken at right angles to the position it occupies in Figure 1.

The holder is formed of an elastic band bent to form a circular spring which grips the spool 2. In the p'resent embodiment, the band l is preferably formed of steel wire, one end of which is bent sharply laterally at 3 and then into a loop 4 which terminates adjacent the bend 3 and then bends outwardly abruptly at 5 and diverges at 6 from the meeting bends `3 and 5 to form a tapering entrance 7 for the thread. The opposite end 8 of the holder is bent outwardly and back abruptly at 9 into V-shape, forming a V- shaped throat 10, that is normally completely closed at its inner end. The V-shaped end of wire isV not sharpened to provide cutting edges, but is left round in cross-section and is, therefore, blunt and not liable to sever the thread abruptly, but rather to tear'it asunder so as to leave a tapered end that can be easily threaded into a needle. In operation, the band is slipped upon the outside of the spool, it being open for the purpose, so

that it will, while encircling the thread, grasp the same by its contraction caused by its inherent resiliency. The end 11 of the thread 12 is inserted through the eye 13 of the loop 4, and in unwinding is pulled back on itself, so that as the thread is removed the holder 1 is caused to rotate around the spool. When a sufficient quantity of thread is unwound, it is passed into the throat 10 of the severing device and pulled tightly against the vertex of the throat 10, tearing the thread asunder with a tapered end. It will be observed that the loop 4 clamps the thread down and, therefore, co-operates with the severing device by holding the thread while it is being severed. It will be observed that the tapered mouth 7 enables a thread passing down into it to easily force the normally abutting ends 3 and 5 of the loop apart, while the absence of such a mouth on the interior of the loop 4 between the ends 3 and 5 impedes or prevents the accidental egress of the thread from the loop 4. It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to any flexible article wound upon spools, reels, and the like, and that the terms thread and spool as they occur in the claims are used in a comprehensive sense so as to include such equivalents.

Having thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the beneiit ot all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A thread holder comprising a Wire band adapted to encircle a spool of thread, one end of said band being bent to form a loop having a normally closed lateral opening, the other end of said band being bent outwardly at a right angle to said loop to define a severing device having a blunt edge whereby the thread is torn asunder rather than cut in severing it.

,2. A threadholder comprising a Wire band adapted to encircle and grip a spool of thread, said band having one end bent laterally and then into a loop terminating adjacent said lateral bend and then bent outwardly to diverge from the meeting bends of the loop to forni a tapering entrance for the thread.

8; A thread holder comprising a wire band adapted to encircle and grip a spool of thread, said band having one end bent lateraliy and then into a loop terminating adjacent said lateral bend and then bent outwardly to diverge from the meeting bends of the loop lto form a tapering entrance for the thread, said loop and said diverging bent portion lying Within the same plane.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

WARREN A. FUSCH. 

